Going offbeat - Northern Vietnam

If you are short on time, hire a private transfer to your destination. I recommend going with HANOI VIP TRANSFER. They arrived on time and picked us up to transfer us to our Ninh Binh lodge. We used them for all our internal transfers.

After landing in Hanoi close to midday, we drove straight to Ninh Binh, about 90 minutes from Hanoi by car. We checked in at the small yet centrally located Tam Coc Condeluz Boutique Hotel.

We spent the evening settling into our small room and taking a stroll along Tam Coc.

Definitely didn’t want to struggle with food after a long journey. We decided to stick with what we knew would work for us. Good fresh bread and spicy curry. Try the fresh mango Lassi as well. It was right across from our hotel. Great choice for vegetarians/vegans.

One of the main reasons we chose this part of Vietnam was to escape the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. It may not be as popular as the colorful towns like Hoi An or Hue but it was the focal point of our trip to Vietnam. I was determined to escape city life on this trip and soak up the slow life of countryside Vietnam, and that is exactly what this town offers.

We started our exploration with the Thai Vi Temple. If you base yourself in central Ninh Binh area, this temple is just a short walk from the Tam Coc lake. Though I will admit, the temple didn’t impress me as much as the surrounding areas did. It was pure serenity surrounded by dense green mountains & abundant rice fields!

Deep in the mountainside of Tam Coc, is this small yet alluring three-tier cave temple. You should definitely take the short trail that cuts through the mountain for magical views of the valley, awe-inspiring peaks & the vast fields below. Tips: the entrance is FREE but try to make it there by 6/7 a.m. to avoid crowds!

This is as touristy as it gets in Ninh Binh but it also happens to be one of those phenomenal places in this region, so we decided to go anyway. This is a temple area where you need to climb over 500 stairs to reach different view points - one is the iconic Mua Caves view point of the Tam Coc valley and the other one is further up, called the Mua Peak, for the view of the dragon statue. The dragon statue, though breathtaking, is a bit dangerous to get to - you will need to climb jagged rocks and stand very still. Entry fee of 100,000 VND per person.

A picturesque postcard valley in the northwest region of Vietnam. If you do this trip from Hanoi, it would be a 3 hour drive (one way). We did two things - the first one was hiking up to the Chieu Cave. This is a massive cave structure that sites on top of a hill. Note that there are a good 1000 stairs to climb to enter the cave but it is not very difficult. Take your exploring the stalactite forest. As with any cave, the impressions, varying shapes & curves and patterns on these cliffs are fascinating.

Our last stop for the day was a dip in the Goa Lao waterfall. Just a 20 minute drive from the cave. Not very deep, it's an amazing place to cool off after your hike up. Traveler tip: our original plane was to stay a day in Mai Chau but every place was booked for the long weekend, so we went back to Hanoi for the night. If you have the time, I would highly recommend spending one night in this village.

We slept in and lazed around until mid day before finally making our way to Trang An, the less-frequented version of Tam Coc. Aptly called as 'Halong Bay On Land', this is yet another hidden gem that often gets exchanged for a cruise to visit Halong Bay, it's more attractive cousin. The landscape in Trang An is second to none. Did you know this is the only place in Vietnam that is both a natural and cultural UNESCO world heritage site? You will be surrounded by steep karst cliffs covered in thick moss. This was our favorite day in Vietnam. Imagine just green cliffs for miles on end.. all you will hear is the swoosh of your paddle against the calm river. You gently float along on your bamboo boat to see mirror like reflections for three hours.

We drove from Ninh Binh to Hanoi for our last two nights. What a pretty little place with the most delightful team to help with you everything you could need. Due to Covid, they were not serving breakfast, but there are a hundred cafes just 2 minutes from this quaint boutique hotel. Highly recommended if you are just looking for some place clean to crash in between your city runs!

We wanted to enjoy some of the local flavors but ad vegetarians, we had struggled in Ninh Binh, found this gem of a place in Hanoi, just a 10 minute walk from our hotel. This is a buffet style restaurant, with small portions but excellent variety and options for vegans and vegetarians alike. Couldn’t recommend it enough. The staff were so helpful too. Fantastic for a date night. Top: this place was packed even on a weekday, reservation is recommended.

On our last morning in Vietnam, we were back to the bustling city of Hanoi. There was lots to love about it and plenty to be baffled by. That being said, I did like the energy of this charming capital. We started our day in the city center with a stroll by the park near the Ngoc San Pagoda. Tip: I would highly recommend going here first thing in the day to avoid crowds!

Stop for a quick mid/morning snack at King Roti, hot and fresh flavored buns at less than a $1 per piece. So yum in three flavors - chocolate, vanilla and matcha!

After which we just took it easy and walked around the city. We were not keen on going to any of the other museums or temples around the city. So by mid-day, we were back to the room to escape the heat and humidity . Tip: if you have egg, try the Vietnamese coffee. If not, grab a roll up ice cream for $2!

Later in the evening, we caught the sunset at the Ngoc Pagoda again. Before walking further down to the biggest St Joseph’s church in the city. Get here a bit early and enjoy the evening by the lake.

Our last stop was the insta-famous Train street, the coolest vibe and cafes here, don’t miss this!

If you have traveled far and would like to have two unique experiences, then I highly recommend crossing the border to visit the iconic Angkor Wat temples!